1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a teaching program automatic generation apparatus capable of automatically generating a teaching program for, e.g., a robot, with a simple operation.
2. Prior Art
Conventionally, in many cases, teaching for a robot is performed in such a manner that an operator operates a teaching pendant to teach a robot installed in a site. Although the teaching operation with the teaching pendant can be efficiently performed to a robot which performs a relatively simple operation, a long time is required to teach a robot which performs a complex operation, it is very difficult to efficiently teach such a robot.
In order to perform any improvement at all, a teaching operation without using a teaching pendant, i.e., a method in which an operator grips an arm of a robot and move it to automatically form teaching data, or a method in which teaching data for the robot is automatically formed by effectively using CAD data has been realized. In this manner, an attempt to make a teaching operation efficient has been performed.
However, especially, in an automobile production line, a large number of robots which respectively perform many types of operations are arranged in one line. In this state, in particular, when the large number of robots arranged in the line respectively perform different operations, teaching must be performed every robot. Even if the above method is used, improvement in efficiency is limited to a specific level.
3. Presumptive Art
Due to the above situation, there is proposed an apparatus in which flow production is not performed by a large number of robots arranged in a production line, but intensive production is performed by a small number of robots each having a plurality of functions. FIG. 6 is a view showing such a parts assembling apparatus in assembling for the instrument panel of an automobile.
As shown in FIG. 6, this parts assembling apparatus comprises automatic convey vehicles to be referred to as AGVs hereinafter) 3A to 3F for conveying parts serving as works on traveling tracks 2A, 2B and 2C arranged around an operation stage 1, a double-arm robot 4 arranged on the operation stage 1, and multi-spindle robots 5A and 5B.
The AGVs 3A to 3D are arranged only to convey parts, the AGVs 3E and 3F operate not only to the parts but also to vertically or horizontally slide the parts placed on the AGVs 3E and 3F as needed so as to assist the robots 4, 5A and 5B. The operations of the AGVs 3A to 3F and the operations of the robots 4, 5A, and 5B are integrally controlled by an integrated controller 6. Note that the double-arm robot 4 is controlled with a CR control panel 7, and the multi-spindle robots 5A and 5B are independently controlled by the AR control panel 8.
The double-arm robot 4 is a cooperative robot which cooperates with the AGVs 3E and 3F traveling on the traveling track 2C, and has a function for automatically switching an operation tool according to the contents of the operation. In addition, since the double-arm robot 4 has a visual sensor or force sensor, the double-arm robot 4 is designed to easily assemble a soft part which is easily elastically deformed by some force. The AGVs 3E and 3F are cooperative AGVs which cooperate with the cooperative double-arm robot 4.
In such a system, it is important how specific operations are respectively assigned to multifunctional robots 4, 5A, and 5B in a specific order.